The Princess of Wales has said she’s missing her eldest son, Prince George, and is looking forward to all three of her children coming home for half term tomorrow. Chatting to surprised shoppers inside a joint charity shop and cafe in a small village in Norfolk, Catherine was asked how her children were getting on.
Denise Ashton, 68, who was sat with two friends when the princess came over for a chat, said: “She said she’s looking forward to George coming home – she’s missed him.” She added: “They may be going somewhere (during the break).”
The young prince started boarding at Eton College last month and will return home for his first “long leave” on Friday. Younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, also break up from Lambrook School tomorrow for a two-week half term.
While chatting to locals who had gathered outside the shop after word quickly spread of the royal visit, the princess asked children if they were on half term. One youngster told her that it was his last day, and she replied: “My children break up tomorrow and I can’t wait to have them all home.”
The princess’ visit to Café 98 in Hoveton, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ first and only café located within one of the charity’s retail stores, was kept under wraps due to the café’s small size. And when she walked in, locals enjoying a cup of tea and browsing the rails couldn’t believe the future Queen had stopped by.
As she headed over to the counter to greet catering Manager Morgan Neary, a group of ladies called her over asking: “Do you want to see our shopping?” “Oh yes, please,” Catherine said, darting over to them. “Do you come in here quite a bit?”
Essie Landsborough, 75, who sat opposite Ms Ashton, said “yes” as she rifled through her carrier bag and pulled out a box of two port sippers. Looking at the boxes, Catherine said: “You never know what you’re going to find [in a charity shop]. That’s what’s so nice. If feels a bit more like a treasure hunt.”
Interrupting with a tone of surprise, Ms Landsborough said: “Do you go to charity shops?” “Yes I do,” the princess said. “I love going round a charity shop. When I was up at university in St Andrew’s, there were a lot of charity shops.”
Catherine heard more about how the cafe operates when she sat down with Ian Nicholson, EACH’s Director of Retail, and Ms Neary, who started as a volunteer before becoming a paid member of the team, in the cafe.
With an oat milk cappuccino and a plate of sweet treats, including carrot cake, biscoff millionaire’s shortbread and a bakewell blondie, in front of her, the princess asked questions about the number of volunteers, where they get their donations from and how many shops they have.
Told that EACH now has 58 charity shops across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, Catherine said: “That’s amazing.”
She then toured the shop before heading upstairs to the sorting area where she was told they get 100s of high-quality donations from locals every day.
Store manager Lisa Naftarski told her that charity shops are becoming increasingly popular due to the cost-of-living crisis. “So many things go to waste so things should get another life,” Catherine said. “The money raised goes to a good cause as well.”
The princess was then introduced to Christine Rich, who showed her how items were prepared for sale. Catherine helped her sort the items, deciding which ones could be sold and which poorer-quality items would be sold as scrap fabric.
Ms Rich explained that they needed to check for stains and holes in the clothing and note the brand, as certain high-end labels fetch higher prices. As they sorted through worn jeans and brand-new blouses, the princess asked if the items had been washed before they were donated.
She was told that most of the clothing arrived clean, and although they didn’t have their own washing machine, they had a steamer to remove creases before it went on sale. Catherine held several of the items up against her as she was sorting through them, and when Ms Rich noticed the label was still on a pink chiffon blouse, she exclaimed: “Who would pay £105 for a blouse?” Before realising she was in the company of a princess, she quickly moved onto the next item.
When Catherine spotted a moth hole in an otherwise immaculate coat, she asked if it could still be sold in the shop. She was told they had an imperfect rail, and Mr Nicholson interjected: “We’ll double the money now, as you touched it!”
Having spent almost 10 minutes going through the pile of clothing, Catherine told the volunteer: “Thank you for my lesson.” Ms Rich replied: “I can’t wait to tell my granddaughter about this!”
Asked how old she was, Catherine was told she was eight and that next week she’d be spending time with her, as it’s half term. “That’s lovely, my parents will spend time with my children during half term. It’s a nice time for them to catch up.”
Speaking afterwards, Ms Rich said it was “awesome” to meet the princess, adding: “She is delightful. I really am excited about telling my granddaughter, Amelie, about this.
“I would give her a job, I thought she was marvellous.”
The Princess then toured the rest of the vast sorting space, remarking that “volunteers are the backbone of community life”, and was told that they have a number of young volunteers taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
During the 50 minutes that she spent visiting the cafe, over 100 locals had gathered outside the shop to see her, and they cheered as she let the shop.
The princess then walked over to greet the well-wishers, talking about the sudden drop in temperature after the unseasonably warm start to the month and the upcoming half-term break with her children.
Opened in 2024, Café 68 is an important part of EACH’s fundraising operation whilst also serving as a valued community hub for local residents.
Alongside generating income to support the charity’s care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and their families, the space provides a welcoming venue for a range of community groups and activities.
More than 40 volunteers support the operation of the café and shop, helping to raise essential funds for EACH’s services across East Anglia.
The shop raises between £ 3,500 and £ 4,000 a week in retail revenue, and an additional £3,000 from the café.
